The present invention relates to a process for producing a thermal transfer recording medium having a near end mark. More particularly, it relates to a process for producing a thermal transfer recording medium which is characterized by the process of forming the near end mark.
Conventional thermal transfer recording media each have a near end mark (sometimes, simply called "end mark") disposed at the end portion thereof. The near end mark is detected with a sensor to stop running of the thermal transfer recording medium in a thermal printer, thereby preventing a so-called blind striking wherein printing is conducted in a portion of the recording medium where the ink layer is absent. There is a demand for some timelag between the time at which the near end mark is detected with a sensor and the time at which the recording medium is actually stopped due to mechanisms of the printer or the like. Therefore, a near end mark is provided on the heat-meltable ink layer of the end portion of the recording medium, and, hence, printing is made possible even when the portion of the recording medium where the near end mark is present passes at the printing part of the printer.
Heretofore, it was known to form such a near end mark by applying onto the heat-meltable ink layer a white ink comprising a white pigment, a resin, a wax and a solvent, followed by drying (see JP, A, 60-76389, JP, A, 2-229072).
However, the use of a thermal transfer recording medium wherein the near end mark is formed with use of the white ink involves problems that the transferability of the heat-meltable ink layer is poor when thermal printing is conducted at the portion of the recording medium where the near end mark is present, and the white ink itself is poor in stability, resulting in a coating with poor surface quality.
In view of the aforesaid problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for producing a thermal transfer recording medium wherein a near end mark ink having good stability is used to form a near end mark with good surface quality and which provides a thermal transfer recording medium exerting good transferability even when printing is conducted at the portion where the near end mark is formed.
This and other object of the present invention become apparent from the description hereinafter.